Bending machine



Aug. 21, 1934. F FI CHER 1,970,694

BENDING MACHINE Filed July 20. 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS J. F. FISCHER BENDING MACHINE Aug. 21, 1934.

Filed July 20. 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR 079/? f. f'z'sc/rer ATTO RN EYG Aug. 21, 1934.

J. F. FISCHER BENDING MACHINE Filed Jul 20. 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INV ENTO R Jo/zrz Z7 f'zlsc/zer ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 21, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,970,694 BENDINGG MACHINE igan Application July 20, 1932, Serial No. 623,535

3 Claims.

The present invention pertains to a novel machine for bending metal strips, particularly referring to that type of strip that is adapted for use as garnish mouldings around window openings in automobiles and the like.

The primary object of the present invention is to devise a machine for bending metal strips to a shape permitting their use as a garnish moulding around window openings in automobiles. and the like, the machine being capable of performing the bending operation in a manner which maintains the same cross sectional configuration throughout the entire length of the'strip. The

machine includes a rotatable table that supports a bending form and clamping means for securing the strip to be bent on the table with one end contacting with the bending form. An arbor is mounted upon a pivoted arm in a manner to engage the metal strip and force it against the bending form so that it is bent to the same shape as the form; In order to force the strip against the form it is necessary to maintain the arbor in a constant spaced relation and this is accomplished in the present device by providing a cam groove in the table that corresponds in shape to the bending form and by mounting a roller on the arbor that engages said groove which holds the arbor in a definite spaced relation to the adjacent portion of the bending form as the latter rotates.

With the above and other ends in view the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the present machine, illustrating one stage of the operation;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, partly broken away and in cross section;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation, partly broken and in cross section;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the arbor;

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the arbor, and

away

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rotatable table 6 which has a downwardly projecting flange '7 that extends through the opening 2 and flange 3. Secured upon the lower end of the flange 7 is a bevelled ring gear 8. 60

A shaft 9 is supported beneath the base plate 1 by means of brackets 10 and a gear wheel 11 is loosely mounted upon said shaft. An electric motor 12 is provided with a gear 13 which meshes with a comparatively large gear 14 that is integral 5 with a gear 15 of smaller diameter that meshes with the gear 11. In this manner the gear 11 is constantly driven by the motor at a reduced speed. One of the faces of the gear wheel 11 is provided with a clutch face 16 which is adapted to be engaged by a cone clutch 17, that is keyed on the shaft '9 to slide thereon. The clutch is moved by a fork member 18 which is operated by a rod 19 that is connected to a lever 20 pivotally mounted upon one of the legs 3.

A sleeve 21 is slidably mounted upon the shaft 9 and at each end of the sleeve and definitely spaced thereby are bevelled gears 22 and 23. The sleeve serves as a spacer whereby only one of the gears 22 or 23 can mesh with the gear 8 at one time and it is obvious that the opposite gears drive the gear 8 in opposite directions whereby the desired direction of rotation may be readily obtained. In the present illustration the gear 22 is shown meshing with the bevelled gear 8.

On top of the rotatable plate 6 is mounted a disk like member 24 having a cam groove 25 formed therein, the purpose of which and the particular shape being described in a later part of the description.

On top of the member 24 is mounted a form of irregular contourshaped to correspond to the shape of the window opening for which the garnish moulding is to be made. The form comprises corner blocks 26 and 27 that arerounded as at 28 in the manner of automobile window openings, the two blocks being joined by the member 29 whose outside edge 30 corresponds to the upper edge of the window openings. Abutting against the block 26 and extending outwardly at substantially right angles to the edge 30 is a member 31 and extending outwardly from the block 27 is a-similar member 32.

The metal strip 33 which is to be bent is illustrated in Fig. 6 as having a cross sectional configuration that adapts itself, when the strip is bent to the shape of an automobile window, to use as a garnish moulding. To clamp the strip upon the present machine there is provided a clamping head 34 that fits inside the strip and the clamping head is connected by a strap memof members 39 that are pivotally attached as at. 40 to a bracket 41that is loosely securedby means.

of a clip 42 on a shaft 43. The shaft 43 is' secured at its upper end in an arm 44 that-is pivotallysupported at its opposite end upon a vertical shaft 45 that is rigidly mounted upon the stationary base plate 1.

The above mentioned cam groove 25 is shaped to surround-the bending form with the exception of the portion 46 thereof. Mounted on the lower end of the shaft 43 is a roller 47 that is received in the cam groove 25.

In operating the present machine a metal stri is secured on the member 31 by means of the clamping head 34 and the cam 37. In placing the end of the strip in such position it is first slipped over the members 39, which are shaped so that they slip through said strip. The machine is then set in motion bymoving the clutch 1'1 into engagement with the clutch face 16 and as the table rotates the arbor members 39 slip through the strip. The arbor members areheld in deflnitely spaced relation to the bending form by the roller 47 in the cam groove and therefore as the form is rotated the metal strip is bent by the arbor around such form. The manner in which the arbor is formed of several sections permits the same to flex around the rounded portions 28 of the blocks 26 and 27 and prevent distortion of 1 the cross sectional configuration of the strip at these points. g V i To removethe end of the metal strip 33 from between the member 31- and the clamping head 34 there is provided a plunger 4'7 that extends into a recess in the members 31 so as to engage the end of the strip. After pressure on the clamping head 34, by the cam 37, is released the plunger 47 may be moved inwardly by a lever 48 that is pivoted as at 49 on the member 24,

an outwardly extending operating portion 50 being provided for operation. of the same.

Although a specific embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described it is to be understood that various changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from-the spirit of the invention, and such changes are contemplated.

What I claim is:

1. A metal bending machine comprising a rotatable work supporting table, a bending form upon the top of said table, means for clamping the end of a metal strip onsaid table in contact with said form, an arm pivotally mounted remote from said table and adapted to have its free end swing over the table, an arbor mounted on the free end of said arm, means on said tableand engaged by said arbor for maintaining a deflnitely spaced relationship between said arbor and said bending form, and means for rotating said table to cause said arbor to progressively'bend said strip against said bending form.

2. A metal bending machine comprising a rotatable work supporting table, a bending form upon the top of 'said table, means for clamping the end of a metal strip on said table in contact with said form, an arm pivotally mounted remote from said table and adapted to have its free end swing over the table, an arbor mounted on the free end of said arm, a pilot member carried by said arm, means on said table and engaged by said pilot for maintaining a constant spacing between said bending form and said mandrel during all stages of rotation of said bending form, and means for rotating said table to rotate said bending iorm whereby said arbor bends said strip into contact with said form as the latter progressively moves past the arbor.

3. A metal bending machine comprising a rotatable work supporting table, a bending form upon the top of said table, means for clamping the end of a metal strip on said table in contact with said form, an arm pivotally mounted remote from said table and adapted to have its free end swing over the table, an arbor mounted on the free end of said arm, a pilot member carried by said arm, a cam groove on said table and engaged by said pilot for maintaining a constant bends said strip into contact with said form as the latter progressively moves past the arbor.

JOHN F. FISCHER. 

